asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of unemployed immigrants at the latest available date.

30,545 on 18th October.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications for employment vouchers he has now received under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962; how many he has granted; and how many employment permits have been issued to Commonwealth immigrants with no specific jobs to go to or special skills.

Up to 26th October, 31,925 applications had been received and 17,456 vouchers had been issued. 11,458 of these were issued to Commonwealth citizens with no specific jobs to go to and without special skills.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what operations have been carried out by United Nations forces in Katanga since the beginning of August; what were the objects and results of such operations; and whether Central Government troops took part.

United Nations operations during this period have been confined to regular patrolling, with the object of maintaining their freedom of movement. Central Government troops did not take part in these operations.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what information is available to him through United Nations sources regarding the number of Central Government troops in Katanga; where they are stationed; what their instructions are; and, in view of the importance of avoiding provocation, what consideration is being given to their repatriation.

One battalion of A.N.C. troops is stationed under United Nations command at Kamina. Their instructions are that they shall serve as part of the United Nations force, and I am not aware that since their arrival their presence at the base has given rise to any provocation.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if his attention has been drawn to the ultimatum of the E1 Salvador Government to seize the British-owned E1 Salvador Railway Company although their concessions run until 1974; and if he wild make representations to the E1 Salvador Government about this action, with particular regard to the compensation to be paid.

The answer to the first part of the Question is yes. As to the second part, I do not consider that representations by Her Majesty's Government to the E1 Salvador Government would be appropriate or useful at this stage. Representatives of the Salvador Railway Company are in touch with the Salvadorean Government about fair and adequate compensation for the bondholders. Her Majesty's Ambassador in San Salvador has of course been maintaining close contact throughout with all the parties concerned.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will outline the Amendments to the original provisions for the limitation of German armaments to which Her Majesty's Government has consented since the conclusion of the Paris agreements; and if he will state Her Majesty's Government's present policy on the restriction and control of arms in Western Europe.

I am circulating below a List of the amendments made. Her Majesty's Government's policy is to support the provisions of the revised Brussels Treaty.

Following are the details: There have been five amendments to the revised Brussels Treaty relating to the manufacture of armaments in the Federal Republic of Germany. Details of the first four were given in my reply to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Warbey) of 31st May, 1961. A further Amendment was adopted by the Western European Union Council on 19th October, 1962, relating to submarine construction in the Federal Republic. The amendment permits Germany to build submarines of up to 450 tons instead of 350 tons as previously. All the above amendments were adopted with the unanimous concurrence of Western European Union Governments and of the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a further statement on the Cuba situation.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement on the result of the negotiations between the acting Secretary General of the United Nations and the Government of Cuba on 30th and 31st October.

President Kennedy announced on 2nd November that United States aerial reconnaissance had shown that dismantling of the Soviet missile sites in Cuba had begun. The United States Government has decided, however, that aerial surveillance and the quarantine on shipping must continue until some satisfactory means of international verification has been developed.

U Thant stated on his return from Havana that he had had fruitful discussions, but in a statement on 1st November, Dr. Castro maintained his refusal to admit United Nations observers.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proposals Her Majesty's Government will put forward at the resumed Disarmament Conference for settling the main elements in the first stage of disarmament.

We are taking advantage of the present recess in the work of the Disarmament Conference to discuss certain problems that arise in the first stage of disarmament with the United States Government. I cannot yet say what new proposals these discussions will lead to.

asked the Lord Privy Seat if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government not only to consult other members of the Commonwealth and of the European Free Trade Association in respect of British accession to the European Communities but also to ensure that satisfactory arrangements are made to meet their special interests as required by the resolution of the House of 3rd August, 1961.

Yes.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the recent meeting in Oslo of the Council of the European Free Trade Association.

Ministers reviewed developments within the Association, which is working well. By 31st December, intra-European Free Trade Association tariffs will have been reduced by 50 per cent., two and a half years ahead of the timetable in the Stockholm Convention. We had a full exchange of views on the objectives of the members in their respective discussions with the European Economic Community. Ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining the momentum in negotiating for solutions for all the members, as envisaged in the London communiqué and the Geneva Declaration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that the experiments in intensive lamb rearing by Thornber Brothers Ltd. of Yorkshire, details of which have been sent to him, do not involve cruelty to the animals either by the infliction of pain or by rearing under conditions that deny them natural light, pasture, and open-air freedom.

The experiments to which my hon. Friend refers have not yet begun, but I have ascertained from Messrs. Thornber that, in planning these experiments, they have the welfare of the animals fully in mind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in locating new fishing grounds; and if he will make a statement.

Exploratory voyages have been made to areas in the North Atlantic not normally fished by conventional British trawlers, but which are within their commercial range, and the results have been passed on to the industry. Although stocks of fish have been found, it does not look at the moment as if the potentialities of these areas are comparable with the grounds traditionally fished by British vessels. Further exploratory voyages particularly to more distant grounds are being considered. The working of these, of course, depends very much on the development of freezing at sea.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the depopulation problem in mid-Wales and the particular importance to the economy of the hill farms in the area, he will extend the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Act, 1955, beyond December, 1962, to the counties of mid-Wales which present a special economic problem.

Good use has been made of this grant money by counties in mid-Wales. While there may be a few projects we should like to assist, there are not sufficient remaining to warrant an extension to the Act.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decision he has made about the future of the Horticultural Marketing Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now make a statement about the future of the Horticultural Marketing Council.

The Horticulture Act, 1960, which set up the Council, provided for finance from the Exchequer for its first three years. During the passage of the Bill my predecessor made it clear that, unless a scheme for raising revenue from the industry could be introduced, the Council would have to come to an end, since no more Government money would be forthcoming.

On 25th September the Council fulfilled the statutory obligation laid upon it by Section 11 of the Act by submitting to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and myself a proposed charges scheme. But this scheme, as the Council recognised, has commanded only limited support within the industry. As evidence of this we have had before us the results of ballots carried out by the three national organisations: growers, wholesalers and retailers. We have also taken into account the views of other organisations; and I have had consultations with the Chairman of the Council and with the leaders of the three national organisations.

As a result my right hon. Friend and I have consulted the Council itself on a proposal to dissolve it under Section 17 of the Act; and the Council has accepted this as inevitable. Accordingly we have made an Order, which is being laid today, to dissolve the Council on 31st March, 1963.

It is a matter of great regret to me and to my right hon. Friend that we have been forced to this conclusion. We welcome, however, the assurances we have had from the leaders of the growers', wholesalers' and retailers' organisations that they fully intend to establish a co-ordinating and consultative body, and thereby to build on the foundations laid by the Council.

asked the Minister of Aviation what success he has had in finding a tenant for the de Havilland factory at Christchurch; and whether he will consider breaking up the site into smaller areas with a view to forming a trading estate.

I have not yet found an occupant for the de Havilland factory at Christchurch. I am prepared to dispose of it in three sections of about 125,000 sq. ft. each if necessary. It would be unecomonic to break it up into smaller units.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will consult the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators to evolve a take-off flight plan at London and other United Kingdom airports that will remove possible dangers to jet aircraft in the present procedure.

I have already received the views of the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators on this matter. I understand the Guild is now discussing these with the Air Registration Board in the context of its forthcoming flight test programme.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to deal with the problem of airport noise.

We are carrying out a programme of research into ways of reducing the noise of jet engines. At Heathrow, where the problem is so far most acute, there is control of the use of jet aircraft in the air and on the ground. Special operating procedures have also been worked out in co-operation with the airlines. We are always willing to help with advice at other airports.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he will arrange to have placed in the Library a copy of the Agreement between the British Overseas Airways Corporation and the Cunard Company.

No. This is a private agreement.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) if, in the light of the special studies made by his Department, he intends to conduct further research and make further progress in the development of a manned spacecraft: what is the estimated cost of such a project; and whether he proposes that it should be all British, or a European or Anglo-American development;

(2) to what extent consultations have been held with Dr. Barnes Wallis regarding his design of a space fighter, and to what extent the aviation industry generally is being encouraged to forward design studies of spacecraft.

Intensive studies of the many problems associated with hypersonic flight and space vehicles are being carried out at Royal Aircraft Establishment and Dr. Barnes Wallis' ideas have been examined in this context. A symposium on high-speed vehicles was recently held and was attended by representatives of the aircraft industry. Before the industry can be invited to submit design studies for spacecraft, preliminary research studies will be required, in which industry may be asked to participate. It is too soon to think in terms of co-operation with other countries.

asked the Minister of Aviation what decisions he has reached with the French Ministry of Aviation regarding the joint development of a supersonic airliner; and if he will make a statement.

I have, for the present, nothing to add to my predecessor's reply to the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Cronin) on 16th April of which I am sending him a copy. I am, however, expecting to have a further discussion with the French Ministers concerned within a few days.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to rectify faulty estimates procedure as described by the Report of the Public Accounts Committee, H.C. 251, especially regarding missile development.

As my predecessor told the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 9th March, 1962 (OFFICIAL REPORT, Col. 100–1(W)), my Department has thoroughly overhauled its procedure for preparing estimates of the development cost of new projects. Our current practice accords with the recommendations of the Committee on the Management and Control of Research and Development. In particular it provides for a reassessment of progress, plans and estimates at a number of check points before a project is allowed to proceed into the next stage. I must, however, remind the House that uncertainties are inherent in early estimates of development costs, particularly of any missile or other advanced and complex weapon system which may take many years to complete.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he has yet considered the application from British European Airways for an annual subsidy on Scottish services; and if he will make a statement.

I am studying British European Airways' application, but I am not able to make a statement yet.

asked the Minister of Power what proposals he has now received from the Central Electricity Generating Board regarding the building of a new power station in the County of Durham.

None.

asked the Minister of Power whether he has yet received proposals from the Central Electricity Generating Board regarding the construction of a power station in County Durham.

No.

asked the Minister of Power whether his attention has been drawn to the protests from the Bilston Borough Council and the Sedgley Urban District Council relating to changes in the structure of the Midlands Electricity Consultative Council, Local Committee No. 3 (South Staffordshire), which has led to the exclusion of representatives on this Consultative Council from the Bilston Borough Council and the Sedgley Urban District Council; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the Consultative Council becomes more fully representative of the consumers in the area covered by the Council.

My right hon. Friend knows of these protests. The Consultative Council having endorsed the amalgamation of two of the Midlands Electricity Board's management areas decided to combine the two district committees concerned. In making appointments to fill existing vacancies in the Council, my right hon. Friend will consider nominations made on behalf of the local authorities mentioned and other consumer interests in the area.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction to the Gas Council and the Central Electricity Board that they should similar action for their pensioners to that proposed in the new Pensions (Increase) Bill.

No. The Gas and Electricity Councils are now considering the question of increases in pensions.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the acute shortage of maternity beds in hospitals, especially in urban areas of acute housing shortage; and what action he proposes to take to remedy this situation.

The Hospital Plan provides for increasing maternity beds by over a third. The proposals are under continuous review, both locally and nationally.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the nurse recruitment situation has substantially improved but that many hospital management committees have insufficient funds to take advantage of this; what representations he has received in this connection; and, in view of the widespread shortage of nurses, what steps he will take to ensure that suitable potential recruits are not permanently lost to the nursing profession.

I have been informed that the increase in nursing staff has been continuing. I have no doubt that hospital authorities are giving it due priority within their financial allocations.

asked the Minister of Health what financial provision is being made for hospital management committees to meet the salary award by the Industrial Court to the nursing profession; and if he will give an assurance that there will be no reduction of establishment by refusal to permit the filling of vacancies.

Allocations will be increased to meet in full the increase in staff costs resulting from the award. Hospital authorities will continue to be free to fill vacancies within their financial allocations.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an assurance that the management side of the Whitley Council for the nursing profession will be allowed freedom to negotiate salary scales for trained staff commensurate with their responsibility.

Yes, within reasonable limits.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made with the improvement in grading and salary structure in the nursing profession as recommended by the Industrial Court.

Negotiations are proceeding in the Whitley Council.

asked the Minister of Health how much of the recently announced £70 millions for work on public services is for hospital building in the North-East.

None.

asked the Minister of Health what increase there has been in the numbers of donors of eyes since the passing of the Human Tissue Act, 1961.

I regret this figure is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to ensure that the provisions of Article 2 of the White Paper, Command Paper No. 1822, shall apply to persons in this country suffering from multiple sclerosis.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that current criteria governing experiments on human beings in connection with medical research offer adequate safeguards for the public, and that they are being generally observed within the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

I have no reason to suppose that the guidance given in January, 1959, is not being generally observed. I understand that the Medical Research Council is considering whether further guidance is needed.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the list of the areas which are closed to doctors wishing to set up in general practice.

I am sending my hon. Friend the list of restricted areas.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish in HANSARD an analysis of the General Certificate of Education examination results in 1961 of secondary modern pupils, showing the numbers of pupils and schools involved, the numbers of subjects taken, and the numbers of passes gained, respectively.

Of the 383,000 pupils who left secondary modern and all-age schools during the academic year 1960–61, 20,000 boys and girls from 1,443 schools attempted the G.C.E. examination at Ordinary level. Fifteen thousand eight hundred and seventy succeeded in obtaining a certificate, 2,390 of them with five or more passes.

Three hundred boys and girls attempted the examination at Advanced level. About 160 succeeded in getting a pass in one subject, 50 in getting passes in two subjects, and 20 in three subjects.

Fuller results of the inquiry will be published as a supplement to Statistics of Education, 1961, Part 2, in about one month.

asked the Minister of Education how much of the recently announced extra £70 million for work on public services is for school building in the North-East.

Of the extra £70 million, £9 million was allocated for additional minor works at schools and other educational establishments, £6 million to be spent in 1962–63 and £3 million in 1963–64. It is estimated that in 1962–63 about £500,000 of the extra money will be devoted to projects, mainly school building, in Northumberland and Durham. Authorities' allocations for minor works in 1963–64 have not yet been announced, but I expect that the same areas will receive a similar proportion of the increase available for that year.

asked the Minister of Defence what is the value of arms exported to South Africa during the past two years; and whether he will publish a list of types of such arms.

It is not the practice to disclose information about arms supplied to other countries.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement on his decision to stop production and cancel military orders of the Blue Water missile; and if, in view of the many setbacks the aviation industry has suffered through unforseeable cancellations of military contracts, he will make Her Majesty's Government's defence needs more clearly known, with a view to avoiding sudden high degrees of redundancy and unemployment in this industry.

On Blue Water I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation as recently as 25th October.

I share the views of the hon. Member as expressed in the second half of his Question, and will do my best to make our defence needs clear.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what has been the total capital cost to date of the enriched uranium plant of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority at Capenhurst; why the plant is being closed down, and when; and whether he will make a statement as to the future of the project and of the Capenhurst establishment.

For security reasons I cannot disclose the cost of the Capenhurst plant.

The plant is not being closed down. Its output will be reduced to the minimum level necessary to keep it in production and available to meet any future increase in demand for civil and military purposes. The run-down to this minimum level will be made gradually and not completed before the end of 1963.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the Dounreay breeder reactor experiment; if a modern version has now been designed; and whether a site for this reactor has yet been chosen.

In my Answer to the hon. Member on 28th May, 1962, I referred to certain difficulties encountered in the operation of the reactor experiment. These were overcome, and the reactor resumed operations at 30 mW (Heat) on 26th July, 1962. On 14th October the alternator was connected to the national grid and has been supplying 3 mW of electricity. It is intended, as the next phase of the experiment, to run the reactor at about 30 mW (Heat) for some months in particular to obtain information on fuel element behaviour.

The Authority has now in hand the design and development of a prototype fast power reactor, drawing on the experience at Dounreay. No site for this reactor has yet been chosen.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement about the future rôle of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service.

Her Majesty has approved that the title of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service shall be changed to Royal Naval Auxiliary Service in recognition of the varied and increasing responsibilities which it would undertake in war.

The new Royal Naval Auxiliary Service will take over the existing responsibilities of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service for minewatching duties and for providing the basic support staff for naval organisations installed in commercial ports of the United Kingdom in time of war.

In addition, the new Service will man, to the greatest possible extent, the naval organisation required in this country to control the movements of merchant ships in wartime.

The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service will contribute to naval defence both directly by performing these duties and, indirectly, by releasing active Service ratings and reservists for first line duties elsewhere.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the recently announced additional £70 million for work on public services is for the North-East.

The figure of £70 million relates to public service investment work, additional to that already in progress or authorised, Which will be started before the end of 1963–64.

Efforts are being made to ensure that as much as possible of this work is undertaken in areas where there are idle resources to be used. It is not practicable at this stage to say how much of the total increase will fall in any one area, but I have no doubt that in reply to his questions about specific programmes my right hon. Friends directly concerned will give the hon. Member as much information as is available.

Details of public investment expenditure between 1960–61 and 1963–64 will be given in the annual White Paper on Public Investment, which will be published on 7th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to make a statement on the Report of the Working Party on Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings.

The first Report of the Working Party has been published today. It reviews the arrangements for legal aid at assizes and quarter sessions in trials on indictment, and in magistrates' courts. My right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and I are in general agreement with the Working Party's recommendations relating to the remuneration of counsel and solicitors assigned to give legal aid; and I am taking steps to amend the regulations governing such remuneration so as to give effect to the working Party's proposals. I am also bringing to the notice of clerks of assize and clerks of the peace the views of the Working Party on a number of matters affecting the day-to-day administration of the regulations. Consideration is being given to the views expressed in the Report on other matters.

asked the Minister of Housing land Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how much of the recently announced extra £70 million for work on public services is for additional house building in the North-East.

I expect to let local authorities in the North-East build as many houses as they are capable of building during 1963.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what decision he has come to about voting by councillors who are council house tenants.

My policy on this matter is that set out in Circular No. 30/56 issued to local authorities on 15th May, 1956. I am sending a copy to the hon. Member. I am not contemplating any change in this policy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much of the recently announced extra £70 million for work on public services is for additional factory building in the North-East.

Funds for factory building will be outside the figure of £70 million.

asked the Minister of Transport how much of the recently announced extra £70 million for work on public services is for additional road works in the North-East.

The £70 million increase in public service investment, which my right hon. Friend announced at the beginning of October, did not include any expenditure on roadworks.

The road programme already provides for a doubling of expenditure next year in the North-East. The possibility of a still further increase is being examined.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that officials of the Potato Marketing Board have been stopping goods vehicles on the public highway in order to interrogate their drivers; and whether he has authorised this action.

I have no evidence that the Potato Marketing Board has sought to stop vehicles on the public highway; the answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Pensions and National insurance how many old people in the City and County of Aberdeen, respectively, are now in receipt of retirement pensions; and how many are in receipt of supplementary allowances.

Statistics relating to the number of retirement pensioners are not available for particular areas. I am informed by the National Assistance Board that the City of Aberdeen is served by two offices, one of which also serves most of the County of Aberdeen and a part of Kincardineshire, the rest of the County of Aberdeen being served by an office at Peterhead. It is not therefore possible to give the number of National Assistance supplements to retirement pensions as asked for. The number at 25th September, 1962, for the whole of the area served by the three offices was 4,270. Some of the grants provided for a household with more than one pensioner.